See plans for a new, public indoor pool in Behrman Park in Algiers

Behrman Park in Algiers is getting a new $6.5 million indoor swimming facility with three 75-foot lap lanes, a water slide and a shallow activities area with a volleyball net and basketball hoops. The pool is expected to open by summer 2019.

Craig Belden, press secretary for Mayor Mitch Landrieu's office, said the design for the 13,600-square-foot Behrman Natatorium is complete and the project is expected to go out to bid this month. Construction should start sometime this fall, Belden said.

The project last year received some pushback from neighbors over its expanding budget and planned location at Behrman Park. Neighbors pointed out the park already has an outdoor pool, though city officials have said its upkeep has become too costly. Others called for more depth in the lap lane area to accommodate lap swimmers.

Ken Zito, an associate at Sizeler Thompson Brown Architects, which designed the pool facility, said the natatorium will be "state of the art," supporting a range of activities from recreational water play to lap swimming and water aerobics. He added the latest design has a few elements aimed at addressing concerns.

While the location remains the same, the plans do include a new parking lot with 24 spaces to relieve congestion in a busy area of the park, Zito said.

A planned outdoor splash pad and shaded seating area were also removed from the core budget to trim costs. Zito said the slash pad may still fit into the final project depending on how the bidding process pans out. For now, though, it remains an alternate phase of the project, he said.

The lap lanes will also be slightly deeper than originally planned, gradually deepening from 3 feet, 6 inches at one end to 6 feet at the other. The original design had a 5-foot deep end.

Zito noted the design features a large glass curtain wall that wraps around the entrance to the facility as well as large windows, allowing light to filter in. The building faces north to take full advantage of the daylight.

The pool deck will have acoustical metal panels to absorb echo and reduce noise. In addition to the three lap lanes, the pool will have a water slide as well as a 42-inch activities area with a removable volleyball net and basketball hoops. Alongside the lap lanes, a set of long, descending stairs can be used to introduce kids to the water in swim classes. Lockers and showers will be available in women's and men's locker rooms.

The new Behrman Natatorium will join the 16 other public pools the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission operates across the city. In addition, a new $6.7 million pool is currently under construction in Gert Town.